Three towns in North Carolina—Cary, Concord, and Raleigh—have been named by GoBankingRates as some of the 25 safest and least expensive places to live in the South.
The personal finance website looked at things like crime rates and cost of living in the region’s biggest towns. These North Carolina cities were ranked:
1. Cary (Ranked No. 2)
- Population: 187,000+
- Average monthly expenditures: $2,049
- Average rent: $1,732
- Violent crime rate: 0.8 per 1,000 residents
- Property crime rate: 11.01 per 1,000 residents
- Livability score: 90
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- Cary has a high quality of life and a low crime rate. It is known for its fast growth and culture scene.
2. Concord (Ranked No. 8)
- Population: 110,886
- Average monthly expenditures: $2,021
- Average rent: $1,790
- Violent crime rate: 1.06 per 1,000 residents
- Property crime rate: 9.82 per 1,000 residents
- Livability score: 80
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- Concord is a great place to shop and watch some racing. It’s home to the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
3. Raleigh (Ranked No. 13)
- Population: 477,084
- Average monthly expenditures: $2,041
- Average rent: $1,664
- Violent crime rate: 4.98 per 1,000 residents
- Property crime rate: 23.7 per 1,000 residents
- Livability score: 84
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- As the capital of North Carolina and a big city, Raleigh is a good mix of affordability and city amenities like shopping, history, and schools.
From the list of the best and cheapest places to live in the South, these North Carolina cities showed how they stacked up:
- Rogers, AR
- Cary, NC
- Covington, KY
- Bentonville, AR
- Georgetown, KY
- Huntsville, AL
- Hoover, AL
- Concord, NC
- Plano, TX
- Edmond, OK
- Auburn, AL
- Stillwater, OK
- Raleigh, NC
- Savannah, GA
- Roswell, GA
- Kenner, LA
- Murfreesboro, TN
- Charleston, SC
- Franklin, TN
- Tampa, FL
- Frederick, MD
- Hialeah, FL
- Alexandria, VA
- Columbia, MD
- Arlington, VA